Wireless Networking

Introduction to wireless technology

In traditional networks, most users are connected to the Local Area Network (LAN) via wires. To work on their computers and access network resources such as email or shared files they must be at a desk. Now, wireless-networking technology allows users to transmit vital information to and from the network from mobile locations efficiently.

Understanding the technology

Wireless networks are built using an Access Point, which sends out radio waves to wireless network cards, exactly the same as a standard PCMCIA card but with no wires. The radio waves are transmitted using the IEEE 802.11 ("Wi-Fi") standard, which enables products from different manufacturers to work with each other.

Wireless Technology Comparison Chart

Wireless Standard	802.11b	802.11a	802.11g
Popularity	Widely adopted	New technology	New technolgy
Speed	Up to 11Mbps	Up to 54Mbps	Up to 54Mbps
Relative Cost	Inexpensive	Relatively more expensive	Relatively Inexpensive
Frequency	More crowded 2.4Ghz band	Uncrowded 5GHz band can coexist with 2.4Ghz networks without interference	More crowded 2.4GHz band
Range	Good range, typically up yo 100-150 feet indoors	Shorter range than 802.11b & 802.11g, typically 25 to 75 feet indoors	Good range, typically 100-150 feet indoors
Compatibility	Widest adoption	Incompatible with 802.11b or 802.11g	Interoperates with 802.11b networks (at 11Mbps). Incompatible with 802.11a